


Just one more.

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 16:18:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4842158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl's working with the big brother program, he quickly realizes he shouldn't just make assumptions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Please Daryl just one more?" Glenn Rhee's voice come across the phone. Glenn knew he was pushing his luck ringing Daryl Dixon to help but he was getting his arm twisted at the court house to fix the problem and give this boy a chance.  The women with the boy wasn't taking no for an answer and was almost standing over Glenn while he made the call. Glenn had not felt intimated by a women in a long time but this women gave him a look that said _'do not fuck with me!'_ He picked up the phone to call Daryl Dixon as fast as he could.

Daryl looked around his desk and he had work piled up to his ears. He stepped down from the 'big brother' program two years ago siting that he just no longer had the time since he made detective in his job. He moved to Boston thinking it would be great to get away from his home roots but now he was stuck doing the same thing over and over day after day

He really wanted to calm his life down, find a nice women to get married too and have a bunch of kids. He once had a pipe dream of coming home to a wife, kids, a dog, even the whole white picket fence and now he was on the other end of the slippery slope towards middle age. He was past his prime and was staring forty five right down the barrel in a few weeks time. He hadn't found Miss Right and found a whole lot of Miss Wrong, Bad and cheating. He really didn't have anything left in himself to give these boys, he was running on empty himself. 

"If you don't say yes this kid is off to juvie and then you will get him back on the other end. He's a good kid, just lost his way." Glenn had stepped it up to pleading with Daryl. "Please Daryl, I'll fix you up on a date or something, Maggie has a friend."

"No, the last time you set me up the women... if you could call her that was barely in her twenties, next time you might get me arrested." Daryl complained. 

"It wasn't my fault, she pulled out and Maggie's sister said her friend was available to go out with you to the movies..." Glenn assured him.

"She could nearly order off the kids menu, the waiter thought she was my daughter... do me a favour and don't set me up again." Daryl growled at him.

"Maggies friends new in town..."

"No unless Maggies friend is over thirty and has a pet monkey I don't want to know." Daryl growled.

"I think she's over forty..."

"I'm not interested," Daryl told him. "No dates, just tell me about the kid."

"I don't know the friend anyway, I just know she's moving here this week," Glenn told him, Daryl listened as Glenn described the ongoing issues with the boy over the phone. He sighed, could he do just one more? One more kid that needed help... Did he even have the time to do just one more? He'd been part of the founding program of a 'Big Brother' moment in the city he worked in. Helping turn kids around, giving them a role model who was from the wrong side of the tracks growing up but now he was a detective and people looked up to him. Did he even want to take on one more kid. In the end he agreed because the women with the teenager, his mother Daryl assumed told Glenn she wasn't budging until Daryl agreed to take him on. 

"Fine... where is he now?" Daryl finally said. He wrote down the home address, spoke with the judge over the phone and agreed to mentor the kid for three months then they would relook at where they were at. Daryl agreeing to it all let the mother and kid leave the court house together. He was getting too old for this shit, too tired for this shit and he didn't even know if he wanted to be living in the city anymore. He was thinking about trying to find some nice little gig in the country.

"I don't know if its his mom or what, I didn't have a chance to ask its the first time anyone has come to court with him. She took him home." Glenn rattled off an address not to far from where his own place was. He could walk there in ten minutes so it wasn't going to be something that was going to take him a long way out of his way every day to check on the kid. It was high intense program. Daryl had to see the kid most days and do something with him once a week at least. Hopefully the kid having to face him everyday when he popped in and out of his house would keep him honest.

"And the kid."

"His name is Codi... he's the only angry kid there. You are going to have your work cut out for you." Glenn told him.

"Give me ten minutes to finish up here then I will go over to their place.... this is the last time, the last kid." Daryl growled over the phone. He knew it wouldn't, he would only take the kids on that were on a last chance. Glenn knew that he would take him. He was going to go have words with his mom too since this was the first time she fronted up for him at court.

"Last kid, I've got that written down Daryl." Glenn's mocking tone said. Daryl had never turned a kid down yet and he hadn't failed turning a kid around yet, but he thought he was going to have his work cut out for him with this one.

 Daryl spent the next ten minutes trying to get away from his desk, in the end he didn't end up fronting up to the kids place for nearly two hours. Same thing, he imagined the parents had no time, didn't know where their kids were and whats more now he was going to have to help get this kids life back on track so he didn't end up in jail.

He finally shut down his work computer and looked at some lab results and told his partner that he was heading out to check in on a new kid. Caesar Martinez looked across at him and asked him why he was picking up another kid when he'd giving the program away. Daryl just shrugged his shoulders.

"Just one more kid isn't going to make that much of a difference to me, but it might to him," He waved goodnight and headed out to the address he had been given.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl approached the house that matched the address that he had been given. It was a three story place sandwiched between houses on either side that looked the same as each other. He assumed there would be a basement as well all these houses were huge. Bedrooms galore and a attic and basement. It was extremely run down and it looked like it was in need of a handy man to help clean it up.  Daryl went up the steps and banged on the door.He was over two hours late past the time he said he would be there.

A heavily pregnant teenager opened the door to him with a smile. "Hi... can I help you?"

"Um." Daryl stepped back and looked at the number again. "I'm Daryl Dixon... I'm looking for Carol and Codi?"

"MOM! That cop dudes here." The girl put her hand on here back and waddled off very dramatically. She called her mom again and Daryl hovered in the door way. He had a good view of the inside of the house where it looked like there was a great deal of unpacking going on, it also looked like there was some renovations going on judging from the drop painting sheet and paint set up down the hall. There was a big opening to a lounge on his left, looking right down the hall he could see a pair of feet on the second rung of a ladder. 

The teen called out again and waddled down to the feet on the ladder. "Mom the cop dude... for Codi." Daryl wondered if she should even be walking. How old was she anyway.

He couldn't believe his eyes when a heavily pregnant women, who clearly had been up the ladder struggled to walk to the front door. She was sweating and come forward holding her hand out to greet him. Daryl gave her a once over. Her hair was short, she was about his age and her hair was starting to grey, not his type at all. Not that his type was heavily pregnant women but she was of small build and covered with flecks of paint, with a nice friendly smile or huge boobs or blue eye that seemed to sparkle at him.

She gave him an appraising glare as she could see he was checking her out. His eyes drifted to her belly. Carol rested her hand on it for a moment, looking at him long enough to make him embarrassed for staring. Not only was her belly huge her boobs were massive. Carol knew he was looking at them. 

"Hi Daryl... I'm Carol." She held her hand out to shake his hand, making him look up from her chest. Daryl felt like a pervert, he wasn't into pregnant women, he tried to tell himself again. _Stop staring at her you perver!_ _Also she wasn't his type at all, nope, no way no how also she was knocked up and had a brat of a son and a partner or something judging by the size of her._ But there was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. She wasn't putting up with his shit that was for sure.

Carol gestured at him to show her his badge and some id so she knew he was him. Daryl handed it all over, she looked at it and handed it back. "Codi is up in his room... first door on the right up the stairs." 

She stood back and waddled away with her hand on her back. Daryl hoped for a moment he wasn't going to have to deliver a baby. Another younger women come into the hall to look at him, she was pregnant too. Daryl glanced into the lounge and it was a pig sty. There was just so much stuff, he failed to see how they would clean it all up. He knew that if it stayed this way part of his job would be to report it all. Carol caught him looking at the mess, she waved him on his way to make him stop looking.

"We just moved in, two weeks ago so don't go reporting us, we need to clean up some more before we can put stuff away." She explained it away, "Codi's upstairs sulking, go do your thing and let me know when you are leaving."

He could see a couple of toddlers and a little dark girl colouring in at the coffee table. Daryl didn't know what to say. They all clearly spent too much time on their back's getting knocked up and not enough time cleaning the mess up. How many kids were in this hell hole anyway. He stepped around toys and other things littering the stairs and found a room with Codi on the door. He knocked and waited to be invited in.

Meanwhile down stairs Carol went in search of her daughter.

"Sophia, I have to take this off... Can I try the one Tara is wearing? I don't think you should full these with water its too heavy." Carol told her fifteen year old daughter who was trying to do a science project with she was trying to make a prototype pregnant belly for schools to use in their health class.  Tara and Carol swapped, they were being her test models and it really was back breaking work because they both were still trying to paint and clean up the house. Carol felt better wearing the half wheat and half feather model, Tara didn't do as well as Carol did wearing the one filled with water. Tara buckled at the knees and went to lay down on the couch. Carol laughed and went back to painting. She was happy her boobs were not sloshing around like they were. She climbed right to the top of the ladder and tried to get all the bits she missed last time. 

"Good job I'm never having one of these." Tara moaned from the couch. Tara then giggled at something Sophia said. Sophia was wearing a slightly weighted full feather model and was dancing around the lounge in her pregnant belly showing off dance moves to Tara.  Carol smiled, she was lucky she found a happy giggly nanny so quickly for the children. All the children, even though Sophia and Codi thought they were too old. The younger ones needed someone to look after them while Carol worked.

Twenty minutes later Carol heard footsteps and glanced over her shoulder at the shocked man standing at the bottom of her ladder holding it.

"Should you be up there?" He asked her.

"Its not going to paint itself, no one else is going to do it." Carol told him. "Codi? How'd it go."

Carol climbed down the ladder and turned looking at Daryl waiting for what he would say. Daryl heard it all how his mom was a drug user and didn't ever look after him. Daryl was struggling to work out how the smiling women in front of him put on  a front that she was nice but... she'd churned out kid after kid and now Codi got arrested one to many times for stealing. Daryl had asked and he was told he got caught stealing diapers and formula. She could afford to paint but brought no food. He glanced around the kitchen and could see that there was food on the stove being cooked while Carol painted. Maybe she was doing it because she knew he was coming.

"He's got to check in every day for the next three months then I'll sign him off if he stays out of trouble, buy your own diapers." Daryl told her, he was letting her know that he knew. Carol looked confused.

"OK... I don't recall asking you to buy me diapers... so I won't," Carol told him. She quickly knew he was thinking bad about her and she wasn't in the mood to explain and he looked like he'd made all his own decisions about her, about her family. He was judging her without all the facts, she climbed back up the ladder, "Let yourself out." 

Daryl was heading out the front door when he heard something. "Mom... MOM! Tara's water has broken!" Sophia called from the other room. "Its all over the floor... and the couch."

Carol sighed and called out, "Well get some towels and clean it up."

Daryl stalled and stared at Carol climbing down from the ladder, "Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

"No we will be fine, its just water," Carol told him, "See you tomorrow..."

"I'll see you around seven is that too late?"

"No, see you then," Carol held open the front door and slammed it behind him, "I will see you before then you judgmental arsehole." She muttered under her breath.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl banged his alarm the next morning and stretched in bed. He really didn't want to get out of bed. They had a new captain coming in and apparently she was a ball breaker. He stretched and moaned again, his body was warning him and reminding him that he was getting older and he needed to respect it. He didn't like the fact that he was getting older, his face hair was getting greyer. He stumbled out of bed to the bathroom. He took a look in the mirror and thought maybe he looked older than he did yesterday.

He dug around the mess on the floor and found a pair of running shorts and a tee shirt. He was going to go for a jog, something his body could cope with. He picked up a arm load of clothes and walked towards the washer and dryer which was built into a cupboard. He paid extra for his apartment because he didn't want to be running all over town trying to wash his underwear, at least this way he could throw his clothes in and they would be done by the time he arrived back again. Then he would throw them in the dryer. Often just one pair of pants and shirt because they would dry faster. Before he left for the day he would toss the rest in so he would have dry clean clothes for the first time in ages waiting for him.

He thought he might join Martinez and Walsh tonight as they went on their usual weekend pussy hunt. He had to check in on his kid but then he would be free to do whatever he wanted for the next twenty four hours and that hopefully would involve entertaining someone in his bed, or her bed. He wasn't fussy on where he ended up, hell if she was into it he would be happy in the back seat of his truck. Whatever.

 Daryl pulled on his running shoes, looked about. Grabbed his keys, his head phones and fiddled with his phone to bring up his playlist. Sunglasses and a cap, he took off as a slow jog along the foot path. While he jogged he thought about the family he'd met yesterday and wondered if he could actually help a kid that appeared to be brimming at the seams with kids how many more was he going to have to take on.

A few blocks away Carol was heading out the front door to go for a jog herself.

"Carol... do you think we are going to sort this out ever?" Tara looked around the house it appeared to have exploded with more and more things that needed fixing.

"Well if you were into guys we could have landed ourselves a handy man." Carol told her she was slightly amused as a hot handyman had hit on Tara when they last went to the paint supply place. Carol knew her nanny was gay but she could have helped her out a little by helping her find the nice handy man. She would have paid him but Tara told him to go away very quickly. Carol knew she was now going to have to look for a professional to help fix up the house and it was going to take all her spare cash.

"Well next time someone hits on me at the store I will ask them how good they are at painting ok..." Tara looked amused, "Or you could ask the sexy detective that stopped by last night."

"No... now do something useful with that brain while I'm jogging because you are clearly off your meds or something if you think I would be interested in him." Carol gave her a wave and headed out the door. She stretched on the steps before heading out to jog the neighborhood blocks. She shoved her ear phones in her ear's, a cap on her head and fiddled with her music and set off at a slow pace. She couldn't believe how much had changed in her life in the few short weeks since getting custody of her old college room mates children. All the children were out of control and she blamed her old friend for dropping the ball on her kids doing drugs instead. They were all Carol's now, she had permanent care of all of them and she was doing what ever it took to get Codi of trouble.

Carol jogged towards the park, she jogged around the park and a large figure was jogging towards her, she recognized him straight away as the detective that came to visit Codi last night. He had a hat on, sunglasses and head phones in. Carol jogged towards him and flashed him a smile. She knew he didn't recognize her. He kept jogging towards her and as he neared she flashed him a smile just to confuse him because she wasn't pregnant and she knew he wouldn't know who she was. He past and at the last moment he glanced towards her turning jogging backwards taking in the back view of the women jogging past her. She looked familiar. He couldn't work out why but he just kept looking jogging backward and turned back facing forward jogged home trying to figure out who the women was in the park.

Four hours later Daryl was going through some files on his desk trying to figure out a case. He was avoiding everyone and one by one everyone headed off to the meeting that had been called by the new captain of this precinct. 

"Dixon you can't opt out... you have to come its a direct order." Martinez told him. "Rumor has it that you got a special invitation to it."

"Fuck sakes, I don't have time for a meet and greet with the new _Chief of Department_." Daryl told him, "I haven't got time to babysit someone new to the department." Daryl did get a special invitation to the meeting and he wasn't sure if it wasn't his co workers setting him up or something else.

"I doubt the new chief needs a lowly detective to baby sit her."

"Sort of he's going to be a tough nut, went there and a whole bunch of them were knocked up." Daryl told him. "The mom, the daughter and there was someone else knocked up there and kids everywhere, and a fucken pigsty."

"Tell me all about it on the way to the meet and greet, and be polite because we don't want to be stuck doing night shift like last time you pissed someone off." Martinez warned him. Daryl had the habit of rubbing people up the wrong way sometimes and last time they ended up pulling nights for a whole months. Martinez was just thankful they were not put back on the beat.

Daryl and Martinez walked into the big room and sat down at a desk. Daryl looked over the back view of a women who was bending over trying to pick up some stuff out of her briefcase. She was hot, he hadn't thought she would have a nice arse but now he had something to think about while she went on and on about how she couldn't wait to meet them all and all the general bullshit they said.  Daryl and Martinez were the last two in the room they tried to slip into their seats quietly. She turned around and looked over at them. She flashed them a smug smile and then greeted them.

_Holy fuck! thought Daryl._

"So kind of you to join us _detective Dixon_. Welcome to the meeting, I'm your new Chief of Department, you can call me _Chief Anderson!_ " Carol told him. Daryl stared at her for a moment and then ducked his head and hoped the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

 


	4. Chapter 4

_"What the fuck did you do?"_ Martinez hissed at Daryl under his breath as they were assigned shit jobs for the next week.  _"I wanna new partner... you fucker... I had a sure thing set up for tonight."_

"I'm sure your sure thing would be happy for you to be talking about her with your peers... detective Martinez is it?" Carol walked close to the desk they were sitting at. She stood in front of them and forced both men to have eye contact with her. She wasn't putting up with their bullshit and she made them both feel guilty for talking about women like that - well where they could get caught anyway.  "Why don't you give me her name and phone number and I'll set her straight."

"No mam... Chief Anderson... I'm ... very sorry for disrespecting women here today." Martinez tried to get out of it.  He wasn't that stupid to even say anything. He had his eye on a hot little thing on the beat but if word got out about what he said today she would throw his arse to the curb. Nothing else was going to come out of his mouth that morning that would get them into any more trouble, Daryl had already done that enough for both of them.

Carol flashed her eyes to Daryl, the whole room was silent waiting to see how the new Chief was going to deal with it. "I hear any one... male or female disrespecting the opposite sex... making assumptions about people you will end up on nights.... Detective Dixon and Detective Martinez just brought themselves a week of nights starting tonight... so there will be no sure thing tonight."

"What why?" Martinez groaned.

"Ask your partner... everyone dismissed. Dixon and Martinez you can go home and come back in twelve hours and start your shift then." Carol waved her arm to dismiss them personally, she gathered up her papers and marched out of the room.

"What the fuck did you do? Dixon... what did you do this time... she's only been here an hour and you been with me that hour... how did you manage to fuck up in such a short period of time?" Martinez threw at him. "You sure do have a way with women."

"Its her... she's the... she was pregnant... I'm so confused." Daryl flopped over his desk banging his head. "She's the mom of the kid from the big brother program... I kinda insulted her last night."

"You kinda insulted her."

"I don't know man... I thought she was his mom, he said she spent all her money on crack and shit and he was in trouble for stealing diapers and formula." Daryl mumbled, "That ain't her because she wouldn't have got this job if she's doing crack."

"No Daryl... She's clearly not doing crack." Martinez talked to him, Daryl's mind was going a hundred miles per hour wondering what the heck was going to happen now and what else had he said to Carol yesterday. "Do you think you could go and see her and try figure it out?"

"You just want me to try get you off nights."

"Do something Daryl anything... I don't care, I can't do another month on nights because of your mouth." Martinez told him.

"You really want me to try talk to her? I've already talked to her that's why we are on nights for a week." Daryl run his hand through his hair. "What if I make it worse?"

"Just promise what you need to do. I'm not doing nights... sort it out." Martinez stood up and walked out, he left Daryl thinking about what he was going to say to Carol. He needed to get it right in his head. He didn't know what to make about her belly. She was pregnant yesterday, how on earth could she possibly have that gone over night.

Daryl stood up and straightened his shirt and  wiped his hands on his pants to head down to meet with Carol if she would let him into her office. Daryl did a loop twice of the office because he was nervous. He wasn't that confident around women, he was ok after a few drinks but he already knew that he misread Carol yesterday and he didn't know if he could fix it or not. He did the loop again and knocked on the office door, it was open and Carol could see him hovering.

"Detective Dixon... what can I do for you?" 

"I... um wanted to tell you I'm sorry about what happened yesterday." Daryl started, he pushed the door shut behind him so they could talk in private. "I kinda though you were Codi's mom and you were the reason he was in trouble." 

"I'm Codi's foster mom... actually they are in permanent care with me, I sold my house in Georgia to move here, I could only afford that house, I now have six kids in my care... and I don't take too kindly to have someone talk down to me like you did yesterday." Carol told him, "You are going to find out it all anyway... Sophia's mine, the rest are not, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing or how I'm going to fix my house so right now Dixon I don't need you in my house complaining about working nights... I need you to work nights because I'm transferring two sideways to a special project and I need you and Martinez to cover them. I heard you both were the best... SO go home, sleep or pick up girls or whatever, be back here at ten." Carol waved her arm and sent him on his way.

Martinez was waiting down the hall for him, "Are we off nights?" He asked Daryl

"Nah... but how do you feel about some house renovations?" Daryl asked him. "Some painting?"

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl and Martinez showed up tapping on the door that Daryl had stood at the night before. They both were a bit wary that they might not be allowed in to help paint, Martinez was already so mad with Daryl that he threatened to do all sorts of horrible things to Daryl. If he committed any of the crimes he had threatened he would end up in jail for years so Daryl felt safe that his balls would stay attached to his body for a good while yet and secretly Martinez might just want to see them because he had threatened so many things to do to them. They heard a clatter and giggles coming from inside.

The door opened and the woman from the night before was standing there with a toddler on her hip. Daryl stared at her for a moment. She was the same one as the night before but she was heavily pregnant the night before. _What the heck was going on?_ Last night everyone was knocked up and now today Carol and this one were not pregnant. He couldn't hear any babies crying. How long did women take off after having one? Daryl didn't know much about babies or pregnant women. Surely they didn't just pop them out and go off to work the next day. Especially as they come flying out there.

"Hi... Daryl right?" She said, she knew who he was. Carol had ranted for ages the night before once the kids were in bed how the cocky detective had assumed things about her and she was going to make him pay for that. She also didn't deny anything when Tara pointed out that he was kinda hot for a old dude. He was on the slippery slope towards fifty as was Carol and he just seemed to rub Carol up the wrong way. Tara just nodded while Carol pointed out all his flaws and all were the fact that he thought she was a bad mother even though she wasn't anyone's mother but Sophia and she was just fine. They both did laugh as the teen girl waddled into the kitchen to get a drink and they all looked at themselves and saw what Daryl must have seen. It still didn't mean they were going to let Daryl off the hook. They were going to make him pay and feel awkward every time he come visit.  "Codi's not here, he's actually gone to school."

"Yeah... um," Daryl ducked his head and didn't know what to say or how he was going to invite himself into the home without permission. _He was behaving dodgy. Who just shows up at someone's house and offers to paint?_

"Just numb nut here pissed off the boss and he's trying to fix it," Martinez said. He was still pissed at Daryl and didn't know why he was being dragged into everything. He'd just listened to Daryl rant about the new boss and that she thought she was being smooth by telling them they were the best in their field and that's why they were working nights. That was bullshit and they both knew it. They knew it was because she was proving a point to Daryl. She was the boss, and she could do anything she wanted with them.

"What did you do now?" She asked them, Daryl looked her up and down. She wasn't pregnant he couldn't work it out. He just stopped himself from reaching out and poking her to see if he just wasn't seeing the belly. The toddler in her arms yawned and stretched, he didn't know what the hell was going on really, it was like the worlds worst hangover. 

"I didn't do anything," Daryl mumbled, he saw Martinez pull out his badge to show her so she knew he was with the police too.

"Oh really, was that when you insulted her about being knocked up with heaps of children or blaming her for what happened with Codi?" She asked him. "Tara... the nanny, so what do you want?"

"Numb nut thought he could try to get back on her good side by trying to help paint or something." Martinez shrugged, "And I'm just here because I don't want to be put on nights for months because he fancy's her."

"Martinez... shut it," Daryl told him, Tara opened the door wider so they could step in.  "Weren't you  pregnant yesterday?"

"Yes!" Tara told him, she jiggled the toddler on her hip, "Yes I was and it was fun." She left it at that and waited to see if he would actually ask her what happened or what was going on with that. She knew just by the way he was holding himself he was dying to know.

The men looked around. There were drop sheets all over the kitchen, there was a little boy about four staring at them from the doorway pointing at them saying, "No."

"Its ok... the men are going to paint the kitchen for Tara and Carol," Tara told the little boy, "This is Oscar, he's four and he's very wary of men so please don't make any sudden noise or movement because he's had a tough time until now."

"Ok... we won't scare him," Martinez knelt down to hold his hand out so the little boy could shake his hand. He held his hand out for a few moments before finally the little boy stepped forward and took his hand. Martinez shook it, "Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased..." The little boy said, he held his hand out to Daryl who crouched down beside Martinez and held his hand out too. "Pleased." He shook Daryl's hand.

"Are you going to help?" Daryl asked him, the little boy nodded and let go of Daryl's hand. He pointed to the table and told him that they needed to check what colours they were painting. Tara appeared back in the room with a baby monitor and a painting shirt on. She had a paint covered shirt for Oscar to wear also.

"So does Carol know you are coming here today? Or is she just going to think I'm super woman today getting heaps done?" Tara asked the men, they had old clothes on and the men were wearing old jeans and tee shirts. They hadn't asked Carol if she wanted help or if they were allowed to come or not. Both men just looked guilty. "Fine I'll talk you up as long as you both help me help get this kitchen finished. So lets get moving. Oscar you are in charge, you tell everyone what they are supposed to be doing."

Daryl and Martinez worked really hard, and painted their arses off with Tara cracking the whip. She rode them hard while they were on ladders painting the roof.  They used rollers to paint the roof and the walls. Tara masked the windows and the door frames. Martinez proved he could paint as well as a professional while Daryl was only good at rolling large areas such as the walls and roof. Martinez could do area's like the cupboards and the tricky bits. But by the time the toddler awoke they had finished and it took them a little more than two hours to get the kitchen painted. 

Tara stepped back and couldn't believe the job they had done. She was happy for the help but she didn't know if Carol was going to be happy about it. Martinez left and Daryl hung around to check up on Codi before he went home to take a nap before going back to work around ten. He knew Carol was probably going to be annoyed about them arriving and just helping. She could go either way. All Daryl wanted to do was to get off working nights and get to spend some time without having to worry about Martinez busting his balls along with the new chief. Hopefully they done enough just to get a week off nights.

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

"They just come in here and started to paint?" Carol looked around her freshly painted kitchen. Tara had told him that both Daryl and Martinez arrived that morning to come help out by painting the kitchen. Carol wasn't sure what sort of game they both were playing or if they were just trying to get out of night shifts. Both men were extremely handsome and if Carol had an itch to scratch she would consider calling one of them over for a house call. That thought alone kept her mind busy for the rest of the evening.

She couldn't believe it was finished she walked around the kitchen looking at everything. She couldn't help but wonder what both those men wanted from her now. Guys just didn't come over to paint for no reason. She knew the way men's brains worked.

She moved about helping Tara sort the children out and put the younger children to bed. Every one was settled in bed and Carol was sipping on a glass of wine after dinner wondering why her mind kept going to Daryl Dixon.  In the end it was just her and Codi and Sophia watching a movie on the couch, none of them were interested in watching and Sophia and Codi were both playing games on their cell phones.  She kept looking at her phone trying to resist the urge to phone Daryl to ask what his game was.

She sent the teens off to their rooms and mucked around downstairs for a while tidying up. She stretched and rolled her neck, she tried to think of other things to do, Tara had gone to a movie with a friend and although she wasn't waiting up for her she did enjoy the time to herself without anyone awake or around her feet. She been exhausted since she took over all the children. She had it made with Sophia but since taking on an extra five she had nothing going on. 

She stared at her phone a bit longer and took it with her through to the kitchen. She wasn't dating but she'd had a friend with benefits before she shifted. Right now she had no one and she was wondering about Daryl... was he single and he did have a nice set of shoulders on him. He did fill out his jean's when he come into her office today and when he turned to leave she couldn't help but check out his arse. He was pretty good looking for a older man. She looked through his file after he left and she knew he never been married... married to his job maybe but his next of kin was his brother. 

She made herself a hot drink and then went upstairs to take a shower. She grabbed a towel and then picked up her phone. She was going to do it, she was going to ring him and invite him over for sex, it wasn't the first time she'd rung a sexy cop to invite him to come play in her bedroom. She liked to keep it on the down low, over the past fourteen years there had been a couple of others before him and now she was going to see if he was interested. She leaned against the sink in the bathroom off her bedroom. She really should thank Daryl for coming over to paint her kitchen first. She looked at the time. He had time before he started his shift, if this worked out well she would have to take him off nights so he could keep her bed warm one night a week.

_Come over so I can thank you for painting my kitchen!_

_Ok. You don't need to thank me, just my way of apologizing_

_Come over now!_

_Why..._

_Bring condoms! Doors open, come up to my room..._

_Be there in ten minutes..._

Daryl stared at his phone and walked towards his shower. He had the quickest shower in history and made it to Carol's house within ten minutes, he was still damp when he pulled his car up in front of her house. He stared up at her house. There were lights on on every floor including the attic, he had no idea where her room was. He didn't care he was going in anyway.

He tapped on the door quietly and opened it. It was late and all the children were asleep. He looked at his phone again. The invitation was still there. He shut the door quietly behind him, he did have two condoms in the back pocket of his jeans. He was dressed for work. He had taken the clip out of his gun because of her children and had it in the front of his shirt. He was wearing his work belt that had everything else on it including his badge. _  
_

He walked quietly upstairs and walked quietly through the next floor. He could hear the shower running up the next flight of stairs. In the attic. He stopped and texted her to let her know he was there and did she still want him to come.

_Great, I'm right up the top of the stairs in the attic_

Daryl couldn't believe it... she was inviting him up the stairs for sex or she was playing some very weird prank on him... it could go either way for him right now. He tapped quietly on her bedroom door, pushed it open and stepped in. The bathroom door was half open, steam was coming out of the door. Daryl looked around and unclipped his belt and weapon. He reached up and put it on top of the tall wardrobe that was in her room. Her room was the only one on the floor of her house.

He walked over and tapped on the bathroom door, "Carol?"

"Give me a minute, I'll be right there, make yourself at home." Carol called out.

Daryl looked around the bathroom, like the rest of the house it was run down, he stepped back into the bedroom. It was the whole floor of the house. Her bedroom was massive. He stood in the middle of her room staring at the monster size bed that seemed to be right in the middle of the room. Coming out one sided of the room. She appeared to have just about all her possessions in this one room. A fancy couch, a large tv with dvd's and he walked over and looked out the windows. There was a tiny little deck up there. He pushed the window's open and he quickly realized it was a fire escape. 

"Its all been redone. I didn't want to sleep up here without it being done." Carol come out of the bathroom. She was wrapped in a fluffy white robe. "Hi... how are you?"

Daryl had turned slowly, "Hi... I got your text and I'm a little confused,"

"What confused you?" Carol took a step towards her dresser and pulled her top drawer open. Daryl stood staring like a school boy as she pulled out some panties and slipped them on under her robe.

"Um... the bring condoms part and that I should come over and you were in a shower."

"But you come over anyway?" Carol smiled at him, "I thought we could come to some sort of an arrangement? Friends with benefits... unless you already have someone? A girlfriend or something?"

"Arrangement?" Daryl couldn't believe that the Chief of police was standing in front of him naked in her panties and robe suggesting that they become friends with benefits. "I don't have anyone? Are you...." Daryl gestured around with his hands and the room and wasn't really sure what he should say, he really wanted to slam his body into hers and take her against the bedroom door. "Are you wanting that? With me?"

"Well I don't really want a relationship with anyone but over the years since I had Soph I have had one in the past... but its a stress release," Carol brought her eyes up to his, "I'm not the type to go to a bar and find a man... but discreet, I don't want my kids to know."

"Ok... " Daryl took a step closer to her like he was being pulled by an invisible rope. "I put all my police stuff up there, so your little ones don't find it."

"Thankyou, you know only Sophia is mine..."

"The pregnant teen?"

"She's not really pregnant, she's doing a school project." Carol told him. "She passed."

"Good... " Daryl stepped closer to her again, "I've got to be at work at eleven, so do you wanna ... um?"

"Yes, no rules, no attachment, jealousy, expectations, but good sex... and no surprise booty calls without ringing or texting first. My kids can not ever see you here." Carol told him, Daryl nodded and he took the last step towards her and slammed his body onto her. Their mouths met each other as they kissed each other for the first time. He slipped his hand slowly inside her bath robe and pulled her slowly back to her bed. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl reached up to touch Carol's breasts, he was surprised to see nipple rings when he first dropped her robe, and from the moment he saw them they had been driving him crazy. They moved from kissing to rolling around on the bed quickly. They seemed in tune with each other quickly. Carol was extremely confident with her body, and what she liked and didn't like. She let him know quickly what she wanted.

No rules and no promises that's what she told him then she went from kissing him one moment then she pushed him on his back and riding him hard. He run his fingers over her nipples, they were rock hard and he tried to move up to take one in his mouth he wanted to run his tongue around one of her nipple rings, but she pushed him back on the bed. He was basically lying there while she did all the work. He took the chance to keep playing with her nipples. Squeezing both breasts with his hands while she slid up and down on him.

He was barely keeping up with her, and her tits were bouncing as she bounced on his dick, his eyes were everywhere over her whole body taking it all in, committing it to memory just in case this never happened again. Her tits were now bouncing in his hands and he was so ready to come he was trying his best to not let go before she did. He brought one of his hands down between her legs and used his thumb to put some extra pressure on her clit. He rubbed up and down on her nub, she was groaning crazy when he did that. He watched her long neck exposed to him while she bounced. He wanted to run his tongue along her smooth skin.

Things had moved quickly from the first kiss and the chemistry was explosive. She had him naked quickly, undoing his pants within moments, pulling his cock out and asked him if he still wanted to have sex, he was kissing her neck and nodded and murmured his confirmation. It was clear to him she was in charge of this encounter.

"God you feel good," She whispered as she bent down to kiss his mouth again, he could barely nod as she came hard on his dick, he lost his own will power as she pulled him though his own orgasm. He stiffened underneath her, she moved a few more times to bring him with her.

She leaned down on his broad chest and tried to catch her breath. She kissed his neck, he was panting and they both were sticky. She rolled off him onto her back. He fumbled with the rubber and looked around. He dropped in into the waste paper basket by the side of the bed and rolled onto his side to look at her.

"So... I have to go to work..." Daryl trailed his hand down her bod from her breast to her hip and back again. "Is it ok if I take a shower?"

She nodded that would be ok. "Sure... there's towels in the cupboard in there..."

"So... " Daryl didn't know what to say he felt like he was being dismissed, Carol rolled over on her side to watch him get out of bed. He moved around naked, she took the chance to check him out completely. She could tell he worked out, his body bore scar's no body should bare and his had some serious ink on his body. He was sexy as hell and carried a sulky look about him. He'd aged really well, if she didn't know how old he was she might have put him at barely forty, but for forty five he still had a lot going on, he hadn't let himself go at all. She watched as he moved about quickly picking up his clothes, then he headed carrying them into the bathroom. He half shut the door behind him and she heard him turn the shower on. 

She stretched in her bed, feeling happy and content. She was glad she made the call. Daryl was a good lover, considerate and happy to let her take the lead. She knew he would suit her needs. She was happy with her choice even though they did get off onto the wrong foot. Now she just had to make sure he kept it all to himself. She was sure he would. She rolled over to get out of the bed to pad her way to the bathroom to join him in the shower.

He looked surprised to see her open the shower door. He didn't say anything but take the opportunity to hold and touch her quickly. He was aware of the time and he also had to pick his partner up before their shift started.  "I really got to go... so what now?"

He wasn't too sure what he was supposed to be doing now. He bent his head to kiss her again and she let him. Her hands drifted all over his body with the shower gel, she turned him around and washed his back for him. He was surprised he was being so intimate with her so quickly. He didn't normally shower with women he slept with but there was something about her. Carol wrapped her arms around him after she finished washing him. There shower had ended and Daryl stepped out of the shower to grab a towel.

"You need to go to work and I'll see you tomorrow at handover," Carol stepped out of the shower behind him, she wrapped a towel around herself and walked through to her bedroom to dry herself. She pulled on her pj's and left him to get dressed. She went downstairs to check all the children. Every one was still asleep.

She checked the toddler Madison who in the cot she was her youngest charge at fifteen months old, Carol looked at the time and knew she would wake soon  for some milk and a diaper change. Every night without fail at midnight the little girl woke. Carol wondered if it was because she usually sat in the rocking chair and rocked her back to sleep having a lovely cuddle with her. Until Carol arrived the toddler had only had Codi and his other siblings really looking after her and while they were at school Madison and her sister Mindy who was three were left with their mother who was often so junked up that she barely knew they were there. Carol was thankful that there didn't' seem to be anything wrong with the little girls. Their mother promised Carol when she went to see her in jail that she never did drugs while she was pregnant. Carol wanted to believe her but you just never knew.

 Carol pulled up the blankets and grabbed the baby monitor. She checked Codi was in his bed and Sophia was asleep. Everyone was still asleep and Tara wasn't home yet. She needed to get rid off Daryl before Madison woke. Carol went downstairs to the kitchen to sort out the bottle. She was just putting the lid on the bottle when she heard the first tell tale sniffles over the baby monitor. She also heard soft foot fall upstairs and someone talking to the baby in the bedroom upstairs. She couldn't believe in when she heard humming and low singing over the baby monitor and Daryl telling Madison that she was a 'good girl'. She could hear him actually changing a diaper. She stood there listening to the baby monitor as he went about talking to the little girl. She heard everything. She was really surprised that he just changed her rather than bringing her to Carol.

She heard his foot fall coming down the stairs and she turned to see him coming into the kitchen carrying the baby. "She's hungry?" he asked her, "I changed her diaper, when I picked her up she was soaked," Carol nodded and took the baby from him. He did look mighty fine carrying a baby. He could see she was surprised about the diaper changing. "I've had to change a kid or two on the job... plus I've got a niece and nephew..... Ok... " He walked over to the laundry area they been using that day to paint and washed his hands, he dried them on a towel there then turned to face her. "I'll see you later ok - I guess, I'm gonna be late." 

"Ok... be careful," Carol told him, he moved close like he wasn't sure if he should kiss her or what the rules were. In the end he kissed her on the cheek and rubbed Madison's head. Carol had already put the bottle in her mouth and she was sucking on her bottle fast, she also had her sleepy eyes cast to Daryl. "Thanks Daryl for everything." He nodded and shuffled and gave them a nod.

"I'll see you later then," He turned, pulled out his keys and started to head out to the street to get in his car to head over to pick up Martinez.

He pulled up outside Martinez place, the other detective come outside. He climbed in the car and looked over at Daryl, "What you smiling about?"

"Nothing... not a thing."

"Bull shit Daryl you got a grin on your face ten foot wide... you find some porn or something you never seen before?"

"Something like that..." Daryl told him..

 


	8. Chapter 8

Carol rolled into work the next morning around eight thirty am. Daryl was half asleep at his desk, she gave him a nod as she passed him. He gave her the briefest of looks. She stopped to talk to one of the other women who come onto duty then headed across to her office. She pulled her shades in her office down and turned her computer on. 

"Captain's looking fine this morning... she's banging for a older chick." Martinez whispered to Daryl.

"Hadn't noticed... I'm gonna finish this shit up and head out." Daryl yawned, his bed was calling and he fixed a few last things that needed done. Then he shut his computer down.

"Martinez.... Dixon, you both are back to days tomorrow," Carol was standing in front of Martinez desk, she dropped some files on his desk and looked at Martinez, "You didn't put a time on this... when did you fill this out?"

"At four this morning," Martinez mumbled. 

"Right well fix it then put it back on my desk before tomorrow." She told him. "Also thankyou for what you did yesterday... that was sweet of you both. Tomorrow you both come back and you can work days. I've got someone else lined up for nights." She smiled sweetly at them both and walked away over to another area of the open office area towards some poor unsuspecting smucks who she was putting onto nights.

"Damn she's fineeeeeeeeee! You think she would go out with me?" Martinez asked Daryl.

"She's got like hundred kids... doubt it..." Daryl mumbled.

"They ain't all hers though?"

"Don't know... I only been working with Codi and know as much as you do."

Martinez switched off his computer and fixed up the dates and times on his paperwork. "Do you think I should ask her out? She might like some Latino dick!" 

"I think she already know's your a dick," Daryl mumbled, he knew it, Martinez was going to go in there and ask Carol out. "I think she's a lesbian anyway."

"Bullshit, she oozes sex appeal, even if she has hundreds of kids." Martinez whispered, "I'm gonna ask her."

"Good luck," Daryl called out to his friend as he watched Martinez go over and knock on Carol's door. He stood up and pulled on his jacket. He was sore in places he forgot existed that Carol had found last night and he stretched and rolled his neck. He pulled on his leather jacket, checked he had his badge, and his weapon sorted and started to head out. Martinez come scurrying out of Carol's office and he headed towards the stairs without even looking in Daryl direction. Shot down he suspected. 

Daryl pushed the button on the lift waiting for it to come take him down to his car. He assumed he wasn't dropping off Martinez. He already decided he was going to head over to the dinner across the road before he went home. He was going to sleep for seven hours then go get Codi and take him out to the batting range. Then he was going to go back to bed and sleep until his body forgot it was forty five and thought it was twenty five. One night on night shift and sex and he was exhausted. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He stepped inside and waited for the doors to close.

Just before the doors closed a arm stuck through and Carol stepped in the elevator. "Detective Dixon...." She nodded at him.

"Chief!"

They both stood staring at the doors as they closed, when they closed she turned towards him. "A lesbian? You told him you though I was a lesbian?"

"Well... I know your not... I just thought he might not try go asking you out on a date."

"He did... then he told me that you thought I was a lesbian." Carol raised her eyebrow, "Why were you even talking about me?"

"He... he... " Daryl didn't know what to say. "I was trying to pretend I wasn't interested."

"So you're interested Dixon?"

"Maybe... I'm interested in seeing your nipple rings again," He whispered, Carol was shocked he said it out loud. She was about to say something to him and he clammed up as someone stepped into the elevator. He bit his lip and nodded at the man who stepped in. One of the women from the typing pool looked him up and down appreciatively.

"Daryl... how are you?" She purred.

Daryl just nodded, he was still thinking about the nipple rings and he stepped out of the lift on the ground floor and headed out without saying anything.

"Call me!" The brunette called out after him. Carol glanced at the women who clearly was into Daryl. 

The women looked at Carol and gave a tight smile, they both watched Daryl head out the main doors. Carol stepped out and walked out the main doors, she had a meeting to go to and she also had to meet with Glenn Rhee about Codi and the court conditions. Her phone pinged as she walked down the street towards the court house. 

_I wasn't joking about the nipple rings,_

Carol stopped in the street to read what he sent her and she smiled. The nipple rings were a present to herself a few years ago when she turned forty. She had gone through a frumpy stage and she wanted to feel sexy again, the nipple rings gave her confidence and the guys seemed to like it. Daryl seemed to love it.

_That's nice, I'll see you tomorrow Daryl._

Daryl looked at her text and smiled. He put in a order for breakfast or dinner which ever way you wanted to think of it and pulled out his phone and fired off another text.

_I'm going to shower and go to bed, let me know if you want to come over to play...._

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we are going to do a small time jump a few weeks, maybe a month.
> 
> An Irish exit is when you leave a bar to go home and don't tell anyone but text them after you left.

Daryl knocked on the door and let himself in with the key Carol had given him after the second time she called him over after all the children were asleep and Tara was out with her girlfriend. He was using it to come and catch up with Codi, he promised to take him over some homework. He saw him every day as promised so far. He stepped inside the house and called out that he was there.

"I'm in the lounge." Carol called out, Daryl walked in and looked for her, he then looked up. She was crouched on scaffolding scraping off wallpaper with a steamer and a scraper. "Up here."

"I can see that... is that safe?" Daryl asked, he was slightly worried and it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the view. Carol was in cut off jean's that were really short and a singlet top. He brought his knuckles to his mouth and bit down when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. 

"I think so... I put all the bits together with the directions on the box, you wanna check? There's some screws left over... I don't think they are that important. Tara's got the kids at the park... Codi's in his room waiting for you. All his stuff is set up on the kitchen table."

"Get down! Let me check." Daryl told her.

"Its fine... I'm not going to fall."

"Carol, be serious, show me the box with the instructions."

"I don't have them, it'll be fine, I jumped on it before and it stayed up. Go up and see Codi... by the way tomorrow are you busy?" Carol asked him.

"I've got that retirement thing, you are going right?"

"After?" Carol raised her eyebrows in a question, he look down her bare legs and gave her a nod. "Tara's going to babysit all night, I can come stay over at yours?" Carol asked him, he gave a nod and made a mental note to clean his place up and wash his sheets before tomorrow night. Clean his bathroom and throw some food out of his fridge. He glanced at his watch wondering if it he had enough time to clean his place up. Then he looked around Carol's place seeing how messy it was right now he knew she probably wouldn't even notice.

"Ok... sounds great, I can't wait."

They heard a thunder of feet running downstairs calling out to Carol asking if Daryl was about. He run into the lounge and saw Daryl standing there. He smiled at Daryl, for the first time since Daryl had been coming Codi seemed to show some emotion to someone that wasn't Carol or his siblings. He rarely smiled and looked joyful about anything. Slowly over the month Carol had been with them the children started to smile and laugh around the house. The two youngest children were happy children and had already forgotten their mother, Carol and Tara kissed their boo boo's and tucked them in at night. 

Codi was a different kid all together. He'd been holding his siblings together and now he was finding it hard to trust the adults around them. At first he resented having to see Daryl every day but now he was seeing him every day. Daryl seemed really in-tune with Codi. 

"Daryl I got a B!" Codi announced about the grade he'd been studying for, Daryl gave him a high five and they both started to head into the kitchen so Daryl could help him study. Daryl didn't really help study he was really just there to hang out and drink coffee. If Codi wanted to talk about anything. They had their own routine sorted out that Daryl sat and drank coffee and sometimes he read the paper and other times he did a crossword. Sometimes Codi spoke to him and sometimes he didn't. 

Tara was usually home and Carol was only there because she had worked an early shift that day. She was off this weekend and tomorrow they had a work party on at a bar in town tomorrow night they both would be attending. 

Carol was using Daryl for sex and that was it. The bottom line was that they both had drawn in the sand. They were affectionate towards each other when he arrived after a text. But any other time they saw each other they were like strangers. No one would ever know that they had kissed and licked almost every part of each other. Now Daryl was sitting at the dining room table, drinking coffee pretending to do a crossword except he was perving at Carol's legs and boobs in her top instead.

*******************************************************************

"I think you are right... she is a lesbo!" Martinez told Daryl. They were at a bar, lots of them were at a bar, Carol was sitting at the bar talking to one of the female cops about breastfeeding or something, Daryl had half heard the conversation when he went to get a drink.

She was sitting on one drink and had been all night, even though she was having the whole night off the kids she did still have to get up in the morning and go home and look after them all day. He'd been keeping half an eye on her making sure she was ok. He had no doubts that she could look after herself but he still felt responsible for her in a little way, it was still a casual booty call but he wasn't about to see her get wrecked and someone hit on her.

It was one of the old timers retirement parties, he'd given her a ride to the bar. They parked over a block away, Carol had her hand on his leg the whole way and when he parked they spent a good ten minutes making out in the car. It was a big rush sneaking around and keeping it casual. He'd never had a booty call that was on even pegging as him. He'd never had a booty call that the women had demanded what she wanted. She wanted him, he wanted her and neither of them were getting caught up in the usual in and outs of a relationship. Also relationships with women with children was hard, the kids always come first and the relationship come second. At the moment he had his job in one box, his big brother program in one box and all the sex he wanted on tap.

They both pulled up for air and leaned their foreheads against each other. Carol's over night bag was in the back seat. They both climbed out of the car then headed around the block to the bar. 

"Maybe she's just not that into you?" Daryl suggested, he took a sip on his beer and grabbed a handful of peanuts then looked at Martinez. He glanced over at Carol who was giggling with some more women. She seemed to be having a great time.

"Everyone's into me... watch and learn boys, I'm going in." Martinez told them. 

The four mean watched Martinez make his way across the room to go try flirt with Carol. 

"Five bucks say she shoots him down," The blonde rookie cop said.

"Ten bucks," one of the old timers said.

"Twenty... she shoots him down and he comes back telling us she's into girls." Daryl told them. Daryl watched Martinez try flirt with Carol at the bar. Carol didn't appear interested at all. 

"What about you Dixon are you going to go try it on with the new sexy chief?" The old timer asked Daryl.

"Nah... I know my place and its not with some stuck up woman who wouldn't even look my way." Daryl told them, he stood up and headed over to the pool table, he was quickly joined by some other guys he knew who had worked with the retiring guy over the years. They soon were playing in teams, he glanced across the bar to the other side across the bar. It was open all the way through and he could see she was still cornered by Martinez. She rolled her eyes at him. He just shrugged and kept playing pool.

Daryl heard a ping on his cell phone. He knew it would be her, they already decided to spend the night together at his place. Tara had agreed to work over time all night. She didn't question Carol when she asked her to work the whole night. Carol promised to be there at seven am to take over. She knew that the baby would wake, but she would go back to sleep quickly. She warned Daryl of her plans when they found out about this night, just like that. She just told him what was going to happen and he just went along with it. 

He couldn't help it, he was being lead about like she had his dick on a chain. He'd been with her three times over the past three weeks. She text him twice and he text her once when he was really horny and was thinking about her. She came, she let him come over at one in the morning for sex and a shower. She gave him her body freely, he noted that she brought condoms and told him that she was now on the pill. That was as much talking as they both had done that wasn't work related. He had managed to get her to let him snap a photo on his phone of her boobs, he told her he wanted something to think about when he was home alone. She let him as long as he didn't get any thing else of her that if he lost his phone someone would know he had a picture of her tits on his phone.

_Meet me outside you go first. Five minutes._

_OK._

Daryl pretended he was heading off to the toilet. He would text Martinez after he left to tell him he did a Irish exit from the bar. 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

He was leaning against the wall just along from the bar when she slipped out the doors. He watched her from a distance look about looking for him. He had one foot resting on the wall behind him with a lit smoke in his hand. She looked about and spotted him just as he lifted his hand in a wave to get her attention. He stayed leaning against the wall when Martinez stepped out of the bar behind her. She looked annoyed that he had followed her out of the bar, she looked towards Daryl for help.

Martinez was like a dog with a bone and it was clear he was about to have one last crack to see if he could take her home. Daryl couldn't wait to see how it was going to turn out. She wasn't his woman but she had agreed to go home with him, he didn't really know how he would feel if she suddenly changed her mind and decided to go home with him instead. She went after what she wanted. She liked sex and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. He watched her shake her head and point towards him, Martinez eyes tracked to Daryl, if looks could kill Daryl would be dead.

Carol left Martinez standing there and walked towards Daryl. Daryl pushed off the wall and waited for her to meet his side, she slipped her arm into his. He called out good bye to Martinez almost wanting to say "Haw haw, look what I got!!" like a little child showing off a new toy. But he didn't, he made a lip zipping motion to his partner to make sure he knew to keep his mouth shut, the last thing was they needed everyone knowing their business especially when it was a casual sex thing.  

"Thanks for the help!" Carol scolded him.

"You're welcome, I wanted to see what he would do, if he was going to follow you home like a puppy or not," Daryl told her.

"Like you?"

"I ain't no one's dog," Daryl mumbled.

"Oh ok, so you not doing what you were told, waiting outside for me like a good boy?" Carol giggled, she let go of his arm and walked backwards in front of him. She was taunting him because that what he did. Run right outside with his dick leading the charge hoping that it wasn't going to take long before he could get her home and into his bed. He had plan's for the night, most of the night but he didn't want to say something stupid right now that would get him into trouble.

"Your wish is my command my Queen!" He gave her a sly little grin knowing he had side stepped her taunting quickly.

"Well now, you do catch on fast," She slowed down walking so he walked right into her, she wrapped her arms around him and kept walking backwards down the block. He bent his head and kissed her.

"My Queen, my master what ever you want to be called as long as you're coming home with me and not the drop kick that followed you out of the bar."

"He's your drop kick,"

"I know. Don't remind me, I'm going to owe him a bottle of Jack to keep this quiet," Daryl kissed her again. He was right by his car, he unlocked it and let her in. He walked around his side and climbed in, started it up. "Does my Queen require any food before being serviced tonight?"

"Daryl that sounds disgusting," Carol giggled, she buckled her seat belt and looked at him, "You haven't been drinking right?"

"Nursed one beer all night and kept an eye on all the men hitting on you, you sure you want me?" Daryl asked. There had been plenty of men interested in her.

"I like you, I don't want anything serious, and you're kinda good in bed. I wouldn't have gone back for seconds if you were shit." She told him.

"Funny... Thanks... I think... Carol, why me though?"

"I don't know, you were there I guess, I was horny and I had your number." Carol was truthful, "And the grey in your goatee kinda sexy,"

"Its not grey... its blonde," Daryl rubbed his hand across his face, Carol could tell she hit a nerve with him right then. "Didn't think I'd ever get to the age where I'd have grey hair."

"Welcome to adulthood, we are not getting any younger and ... can we go... I am hungry... and its not for food," Carol leaned across towards him, pulling him by the front of his shirt towards him. Their lips met and they kissed for a long time. Her hand was palming him over the top of his pants. He pulled back.

"We better get going before some cop we know pulls up and wants to see id or something," he started the car, indicated and started to drive home to his place.

                            


	11. Chapter 11

_You dirty fucken cunt._

_You played me._

_You better be getting us both off nights._

_I'm never gonna forgive you._

_Dirty fucken dog._

Martinez text messages come pinging through on the drive back to Daryl's, Carol was amused as Daryl pulled up into his parking spot and read quickly though them.

"Martinez sends his regards." He leaned over her and kissed her again. "We have all night?"

"All night."

"Lets get you  naked then!" Daryl groaned in her ear. He opened his door walked around like a gentleman and helped her out. He leaned her up against his car and started kissing the heck out of her.

"Slow down Dixon there's no fire..." Carol moaned as he made his way kissing down her neck.

"Come on, I'll show you my digs, you hungry, you need anything?" He reached into the back of his car to grab her bag. He took her hand to lead her up to his play. It was a one bedroom apartment. A walk up. They made it up kissing and walking the whole way. Carol was giggling by the time they got to his place. He was behaving like someone who  never had been laid before.

"You tidy up?" Carol asked looking about an extremely tidy male apartment.

"Hm.... a little, I even washed my sheets."

"Why Detective you spoil me so..." Carol put a southern twang into her voice.

Daryl looked at her and shook his head knowing she was teasing him again. "What do you want to do?"

"You have a tv in the bedroom? Can we watch a movie?" Carol suggested.

"Sure... I don't have any girly ones, I've got Rambo." Daryl told her, she raised an eye brow at him. "Ok... Ok... I might have something," he walked over to his dvd stand and moved it and pulled out two movies. Carol laughed when she saw them. "Don't mock me."

"You watch those?"

"I did when I was younger then I brought them once because... I thought one day they would be a good teaching thing." Daryl told her. Carol stared blankly at him. "Fine I wanted them for myself."

"Can we watch 'Knotting Hill' first?" Carol asked him. She started pulling off her shoes and kicked them beside the couch. She shrugged off her jacket.

"Is this going to be like a girly sleep over?" Daryl looked panic'd. "You didn't bring pj's did you?"

"No... I just want to chill out. I haven't had any time to just sit about for ages. Lets order a pizza or something." Carol suggested.

"You want to get naked why we do that?" Daryl walked over to grab take out menu's, Carol giggled.

"You are going to get laid Daryl, are you worried about it?" Carol asked him, he nodded.

"Was just checking, so we gonna be naked in bed eating pizza watching a chick flick.... and we are not dating and I don't need to ring you a hundred times tomorrow?" Daryl asked.

"No don't call me... I don't like clingy guys, but you don't have to watch the chick flick... you can do whatever. Can I take a shower while we are waiting for pizza?" Carol strolled through the apartment like she owned the place taking off her clothes, "Make sure you buy enough food and the pizza has bacon on it."

He grabbed her wrist as she brushed by him on purpose, "You always demand what you want?"

"Yes." She whispered. "I usually get it too, if you hurry you can join me for a shower while we are waiting for the pizza." She leaned in and kissed him with tongue and he moved quickly to order a couple of pizzas. Daryl quickly placed a order in for pizza and drinks and walked through to the bathroom to watch Carol shower.

He dropped his clothes and stepped in. He dropped to his knees and had his head buried between her thighs before she knew what hit her. She gave a low squeal when she realized what he was up to. He lifted one leg over his shoulder to open her up so he could run his tongue along the inside of her. 

"Holy fuck," Carol moaned, she grabbed his hair and pulled him up as she lifted her leg off his shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?" Carol asked as he tried to lift her up onto his dick in the shower. "You will throw your back out. Your not as young as you think you are," she scolded him.

"Mmm fine, it'll be fine," he mumbled in her ear.

"If you drop me... so help you god." Carol squeaked as he slid into her, leaning her on the shower wall. 

"You want me to stop?"

"No, I want you to go harder." She moaned. He could only hold her there a few minutes before admitting defeat that yes he wasn't as young as he used to be and had to put her back to the ground, pull her leg up over his hip and go for it standing up. He could feel her coming right around him. He followed her quickly. They finished with just enough time for a quick shower and for him to throw on some pants to go meet the pizza guy at the door.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl was lying between Carol's legs, it was a little after six in the morning.  He was trying to talk her into staying in bed a tiny bit longer. He was managing to convince her to let him have his wicked way with her. His mind was willing but his body was bearing the brunt of what he thought he could still do in his twenty's.... having sex all night long but in reality not being twenty any more he was struggling. 

"You know I'll see you during the week don't your?" Carol moaned into his neck, he was busy rolling a condom on and slipping inside her again. 

"I know but I ain't ever woken up with you and I don't know when we will get the chance again." He told her as he started to move in and out of her. "You are so freaken sexy." he moaned against her. He flipped her over on the bed so she was straddling him. He worked out right in the beginning that that was where he wanted to see her. Riding him hard, with her tits bouncing, head thrown back hand between her legs touching herself, no shame enjoying the ride.

"You're not to bad yourself. Daryl... god..." She moaned and groaned riding him hard. 

Daryl had his hands gripped to her hips and he lifted a hand up and flipped his fingers over her nipples. They were rock hard and she was starting to go over the edge he moved his hand down and took over rubbing her clit for her, her hands went up over her breasts and she started to come hard on him. He pumped hard into her and let her pull him over the edge. 

"Fuck...fuck..." He groaned and he pumped up one last time and came hard. 

She lay down on his chest breathing hard for a few moments. "That was good. Best morning I've had in a while." She whispered.

"Can we do an all nighter again?" He asked her.

"I don't think so... depends on if I can have Tara watch them overnight again." Carol rolled off him. "Can I take a quick shower and then can you drive me home?"

"Sure... we could though..."

"I'm not really looking for another full night... I don't think I can take it all night and I miss my babies." Carol tossed over her shoulder as she headed into the bathroom. she left the door open, "I didn't think I would miss them all but I do... I've grown attached to them all."

"That's good. What else do you have planned today?" Daryl stretched out. His back was sore and he didn't know if his dick was going to work again for a few days. He hated getting old. "I'm gonna stop by see Codi."

"Not much... park... there's a mommy's playgroup I thought about attending but... I'm not much for mommy playgroups but the little one's never mixed with other kids much." Carol called out from the shower. "I shouldn't really be talking about this stuff with you anyway."

Daryl groaned and rolled out of bed. He shuffled his way into use the bathroom. Carol was getting out of the shower, she left it running for him to use. She walked back into the bedroom and sat on the bed for a moment. She looked on the floor at the condoms they had used. She moved back into the bathroom to get tissues to gather them up to put in the bin. As she was picking them up she noticed one had a tear in it. Fucken hell.

"Um Daryl. You know when you asked about what I was doing today... morning after pill." Carol pulled open the shower curtain to look at him.

"Really?" Daryl looked shocked.

"Locked and loaded by the look of things." Carol told him. "It will be fine. I'll take care of it." She told him.

"Ok." she moved off to get dressed, they didn't really talk about anything as he moved about getting dressed. He carried her bag out to the car and drove her home. It was awkward, he wasn't talking and she was thinking he was pissed about it. He pulled up outside her house, she leaned over to peck him on the cheek. 

"It'll be ok, you don't need to worry about it." She told him. "I'll go down to the twenty four hour emergency and Sophia and Codi can watch the others. I promise I'll do it." She moved to get out the car door.

"Wait....."

"What? What's wrong you been quiet the whole way home."

"Its just..." Daryl started to say, "Doesn't matter."

"No, just tell me..." Carol turned in her seat. She glanced at the clock on the dash, she had a few minutes.

"Its just I thought eventually I would have family you know.... and I was wondering if you'd think about not getting the morning after pill and just seeing what happens?" Daryl chewed on his thumb nail and glanced towards her. Carol was shocked about what he was asking. He really was great with children, and he was basically asking her to have a baby with him. She didn't know what to think. 

"I've a bunch of kids in my care already ... I um," Carol started to say.

"Think about it? Just one more? I'll help, hell I'll help with them all." Daryl glanced at her. "Its my last chance to be a dad, I mean you might not even be.... But would you think about it?"

"Think about it... I think we need to talk about this..." Carol was flustered. "Ok I'll think about it but I'm not making any promises about anything, I've just a new job and a lot of kids and I don't want a relationship with anyone and having a baby is a big deal and not something that we should be jumping into at seven in the morning."

"Ok, ok.... I shouldn't have asked you."

"No you should, at least now I know if I accidentally get knocked up you will be on board." Carol leaned over, she squeezed his hand and got out of the car and went to let herself into the already full busy house she had. She had to think about Daryl's request and she had to think quickly.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Carol went inside her home opening and closing the latch on the door quietly. She was in shock of what had just happened with Daryl out in the car. She had no idea what she was going to do or say. A baby wasn't high on her things to do nor was she in the right head space to even think about it right now. 

"Nice night?" Tara was leaning against the wall in front of her, she had Madison in her arms feeding her her bottle. The little girl's eyes lit up seeing Carol come in the door. "So who was he?"

"What?" Carol asked her. No one knew she was mucking around with Daryl.

"Was. He. Good?" She asked.

"It wasn't a thing... I wasn't with anyone." Carol tried to say, Madison held her arms out to snuggle with Carol.

"Well you know I was up in Madison's room and I could of sworn I saw someone's car parked outside and you sitting in the passenger seat. But if that wasn't you?" Tara batted her eyes and grinned, "Someone else in the neighborhood is banging the sexy detective."

"Don't say banging," Carol frowned and she walked past Tara hoping to get into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee she was going to need it to get through the rest of the day on her own with the kids. She also needed to think long and hard about Daryl's request. She was really too old to be thinking about this sort of thing... _wasn't she?_

"Soooo... he looks quite finnnnneeeeeee dish the dirt." Tara followed her in and grabbed the coffee out of Carol's hand that wasn't holding the toddler. "No dirt no coffee."

"Tara... fine... he's cute. That's all I'm saying." Carol told her.

"And?"

"And what?" Carol took the coffee back.

"How long has he been putting a spring in your step?"

"Tara... this isn't really professional is it, your the nanny and I'm your boss." Carol told her trying to put her in her place.

"Its not professional to have a sexy detective climbing down the fire excape past my bedroom at two am in morning." Tara teased her more. "You better be careful Codi doesn't find out."

"Its not a thing ok.... Its a booty call."

"Booty call... he called you for a booty call?" Tara looked shocked. Daryl didn't really look like the type to ring someone for a booty call. A hook up at a bar or something maybe. Carol raised her eyebrows. "Oh.... Carol's doing the booty calling."

'Booty..." Madison said. "Booty... booty."

"See what you did." Carol handed the baby back and poured her coffee. Tara put her in the high chair and dragged it over to the table. "Toast? Toast?" Carol said to Madison.

"Booty... Booty." The little girl cracked a huge smile at Carol. Carol wasn't happy with that but she could come out with all sorts of other words so she was thankful.

"Everyone go to sleep ok last night? No problems?" Carol asked. Tara had put some toast in the toaster and come back to the table waiting to hear what else Carol was going to tell her about her weekend.

"No problems, everyone went to sleep. They are still asleep. Missy here woke like clockwork and now we are up for the day." Tara said. "Do you have any plans with he who shalt not be named?"

"No... maybe... I don't know its complicated." Carol said. "Maybe I need to talk to him or ... I'm not sure?"

"You want to talk about it?" Tara offered.

"Its a biggie."

"You can trust me." Tara told her. "I won't judge."

Carol took a sip of her coffee and filled Tara in on Daryl's request. Tara's eyes went wide and she got up to make more toast and coffee for them while listening to Carol.

"So what are you going to say or do?" Tara asked in the end. She was leaning against the counter, they could hear little foot steps of a four year old starting to come down stairs.

"Is it crazy? Do you think its a crazy request... what if I don't you know end up.... you know."

"Why's he still single? What about the rest of the kids? Just give him one of them." Tara suggested. "Give her this one." Tara picked up a messy little girl out of the high chair. "Give him her for a week and see if he still wants to do it."

Carol laughed because although she'd only had her new family a short time she really hated being away from them all. She couldn't part with any of them any longer than she had too.

"I don't know... I might keep her, I really don't want to raise children in the city." Carol said.

"Well don't, move, make him move. I don't know can you see yourself with him long term?" Tara asked.

"I don't know, he's cute and he's good with kids, we don't even know each other that well." Carol said. "This is stupid, I'm going to sleep on it."

"What about the morning after pill?"

"I'll go get it and then if I want to take it tomorrow its not to late I can take it in the morning." Carol said. She held her arms out for a sleep little boy who was shuffling towards her, he was holding onto his teddy and sucking a thumb. "Hello my Prince, did you see well?"

"Sore..." he mumbled. He pointed to his throat. 

"Ok, let me see." Carol quickly become busy with the morning routines that she put all her thoughts about Daryl out of her head. She did make it to the doctors with her little guy to get his sore throat checked, she did pick up the morning after pill and she did put in on her bathroom counter and it mocked her the rest of the day and night until she managed to get all the kids to bed and asleep. Then she lay in bed and tried to think about it. Her head barely hit the pillow after her shower when her phone buzzed with a text.

_You had time to think about it? can we talk?_

Carol looked at her phone for a minute. She hadn't thought about it. She was too old, he was too old. She had six children on her own with Tara already. If he wanted to be a dad so bad he surely could have done it all before now and not put all his eggs in her basket. Or all his sperm in her basket. Hell they would be both pushing their sixty's when it was in high school. She was going to be sixty when Madison finished high school Daryl would be a little bit older. No one would ever recommend getting married at her age. _EVER._

_I thought about it. We need to talk._

_Ten minutes?_

_Just talk ok. Come up the fire escape._

_ok see you in a few. You want anything?_

Carol could think of lots of things she wanted. They didn't call it the naughty forties for no reason. She was hot for him, he was hot for her but right now that didn't mean they should try have a baby together. No way, no hell. She would tell him that right after she got him naked and had her way with him when he come over. That would soften him up. Either that try Tara's plan and just leave him with all her kids for a few hours to turn him off his idea. That should work too.


	14. Chapter 14

"So its a no then?" Daryl was just making sure, Carol had told him but he was still kinda hoping that she might say yes. They seemed to get on great together but no was no.

"I can't, I really can't do it. Plus I'm older now and I've all these children already that I don't know what I'm doing with alone so adding one more would be a nightmare." Carol told him again. He'd followed her into the bathroom and was about to watch her take the pills and swallow his last hope of ever  being a father. He wished he'd been keener earlier to do the parenting game thing but way back then he just didn't want to and there was no one he'd been with that he wanted to step off and be committed to. Carol was different she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted.

"Its ok I shouldn't have put you into that position anyway. I always had this dream of owning a property in the country and a bit of land with a bunch of kids running around." Daryl told her, "That's why I brought my little farm a few years ago."

"You brought a farm?" Carol asked him.

"My brother runs' it, he's got kids and its like a hobby farm. He works in town too. He just got a few animals on it nothing major. A few cows and a horse, some chickens and stuff." Daryl told her. "I thought we could move there and raise it you know. There's the old farm house with a wrap around porch I've been doing up when I have time and Merle built a newish type of house there for him and his family. There's heaps of room."

"But I've other kids I couldn't just up and go with you and the baby."

"I thought maybe we could raise them all there. Get out of the city and there's a good high school there and primary. There is a cop shop looking for staff all the time... I know its a stupid idea and you said you didn't want nothing more than a booty call. I just thought maybe us having a baby together might make ya change your mind and we could be more than a booty call."

"Wait a minute... wait a minute." Carol put her hand up. "Time out... let me catch up." She stared at him. "You are offering all of us a home on a farm and you wanna raise all the kids. All of them... like all of them... all them down there asleep right now." 

"Yeah you just didn't think I just wanted a baby did you?" Daryl asked.

"I'm so confused right now."

"Why?"

"Because this isn't supposed to be serious... its suposed to be a fling and you are asking me to pack up everything and move across state with you to live on a farm." Carol whispered. "I can't.... I can't do this right now. You need to go so I can think about it some more."

"But..."

"Daryl... no strings... its just that. No strings not offering me all that. Stuff I never had. I can't even wrap my head around it right now."

"Wait wait wait, your kicking me out now, this is over?" Daryl asked.

"No I... this wasn't supposed to be like this. I've had plenty of relationships that were just sex... that's it. No one ever wanted the whole deal." Carol complained she didn't know what had changed, her feeling for him had shifted that morning and she was desperately trying to gain back the calm of knowing she didn't have to worry about having a relationship or having to answer to someone.

"I can't help the way I feel now. It just come over me last night at the bar. Don't tell me to go home can't we just... can't you just tell me what you really want. Not what you think you want... but what you really really want." Daryl knew he was coming across as a needy guy right that moment but he knew if he left the bedroom that she would shut him out and move on and he didn't want that now. A week ago he did but right now he wanted to move forward. With her, with her kids.

"You have a home out of the city, tell me about it." Carol walked across to the bed and climbed in. She didn't have to worry about anything, Tara had the baby monitor tonight telling her she needed to sort things out more with Daryl than getting up and down to the baby. "Do they have good schools there? What about a store? How far is it from town? I don't have to shovel any poop do I if we go look?"

"Nothing like that. I've photos on my phone. Why don't we go out for the weekend next weekend and look? See what you think?" Daryl suggested, he climbed into the bed beside her and cuddled into her. Carol frowned at him but leaned into his embrace as he wrapped her up in his arms and started showing her photos on his phone.

"Are you real? You don't even know me that well." Carol tried to make excuses of why they couldn't go.

"I like you and you like me its a great start. But I more than like you and we are too old to be playing these sort of games so I'm going to put this out there for you to think about ok. Take a chance? Just one more and come with me tomorrow, its an hour from here, we can take the two little ones. Have dinner with my brother and be back by bed time. Tara can watch out for the others right?" Daryl suggested. He knew she was going to say no but in the end she agreed she would go and take the two youngest with her to visit this place he owned.

"See I knew you though I was irresistible." Daryl leaned over to kiss her. 

"I should have text Martinez... that guy would have keep it on the down low casual sex."

"You don't really want that though anymore do you?" Daryl asked her between kisses. "Do you?"

 

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl was fiddling around trying to put a the car seats in the back of his car. He was getting all confused and then he unbuckled them all and put them on the street. Carol has said about anchor points and other things. He had the anchor points in the car with hooks all ready, a mate he had who was a mechanic had put them in that morning around seven am. He didn't even ask why Daryl wanted baby car seat anchors in the car. 

All he said was, "you must be keen."

"Brother you have no idea." Daryl had replied. 

"Ok I can do this..." Daryl mumbled he pulled out his phone and pulled up youtube and typed in the brand of car seat and searched how to install it. "Fuckers... " He mumbled when he realized that the baby car seat went backwards and that was the reason he couldn't get it in and he was threading the other seat through where the straps were and not where the belts were supposed to go. Simple, he clicked it all back together and half an hour later he had two car seats in his car.

"How _long_ are we going to watch him for?" Tara whispered to Carol. Both had been watching him try install the car seats for a while but it was too amusing to go out and help him with it. Carol was enjoying the view every time he bent over and Tara was just amused about everything. She helped Carol pack diaper bags and suggested that they stay over night at the farm. She even went as far to sugget taking the porta cot. Carol just groaned when she looked about seeing all the gear they were taking for one baby and one four year old anyway.

"You know Oscar and Madison are going to need a nap at some stage whatever will you do while they are napping?" Tara teased.

"What are you all doing?" Sophia come downstairs in her pj's and rubbed at her eyes. She looked out the window at Daryl putting in a stroller into the trunk of the car. "What's Daryl doing here so early.... Codi's still asleep and why does he have car seats and the stroller?"

"Yes Carol why does he have car seats and a stroller?" Tara asked Carol.

"Because.... because.... um."

"Oh god you are so gross... are you....  _doing it with him?_ " Sophia hissed at her mother. "He's like nearly.... what.... he's old, your old, you ..... oh god when Codi finds out he's gonna be so mad."

"When I find out what?" Codi come into the room and looked out the window in the same direction and everyone else.

"Booty! Booty!" Madison blurted out when she saw Codi, he bent down and picked her up. 

"Did she just say booty?" He asked everyone.

"Nooooo....."

" _Moms banging Daryl!_ " Sophia blurted.

"Booty.... booty!" Madison told Codi as she blew a raspberry on his face.

"Fuck my life!" Codi complained, Madison went to repeat it.

"Booty, booty..." Sophia said, Madison forgot about the new word to repeat and Codi put her down and she crawled over to her diaper bag to start pulling everything out.

"Is it true... what's going on? Is he .... what... you going away with him.... _your just like MOM!_ " Codi shouted at Carol as Daryl walked into the room and Codi run past him yelling that Daryl ruined everything.

"So what did I miss?" Daryl held his hands up in surrender.

"Nothing... not much anyway," She walked across and hugged him kissed him on the mouth. "Ok..."

"Ok what?" Daryl looked confused.

"I accept..." Carol looked at him again, "You're a good man and I'd be stupid to keep denying that I do like you so I'll do it, if the kids agree we will come."

"If we agree to what?" Sophia asked.

"Really... all of it?" Daryl asked.

"Apart from a new baby part... for now... but if the kids want it.... if they say yes then we will do it." Carol told him quietly as she could. He pulled her back into the hall to question her.

"You changed your mind?"

"I think I always knew, but Codi wants it, he wants and needs a family so I can keep saying I don't want it as long as I want but really ... I want it. I want you." She kissed him again. "How do you feel if I drive my car up too and we all go and look."

"I'm not working tomorrow are you?" Daryl asked her.

"I can go in in the afternoon."

"Pack overnight bags and we can camp out over night alright." Daryl told her, "I'll go talk to Codi if you want."

"That will be good. Ok,"

"Um Carol...."

"Yes?"

"You're not going to make me take the car seat out of my car again are you?"

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, life just got in the way and I haven't been writing much. Hopefully we can kick off this again.

"Why did we get stuck with the two babies in the car?" Codi asked Daryl.

"Because I refused to pull the car seats out." Daryl mumbled. "I should of just pulled them out and swapped them over."

"Hopefully they will go to sleep," Codi said, he looked over his shoulder at his siblings and pointed out the window. "Keep looking you might see a cow."

"There's no cows in the city," Daryl said.

"They don't know that yet... it might keep them quite."

Codi had ended up in the car with Daryl and the little ones to talk but so far they had only been dealing with the none stop excitement about a road trip and the non stop yapping about every little thing that they passed.

"So do you really like Carol?" Codi asked Daryl. "Like really like like her... you not just going to leave are you?"

"Do you think I would have asked her to come with me and told her about my place if I didn't want to?" Daryl asked him.

"I don't know... I don't know... every guy my real ma went with just wanted one thing and a free place to stay. None of my brothers and sisters even have the same daddy." Codi told him.

"I know but I ain't going no where not unless Carol tells me to go." Daryl told him. "I haven't felt like this in a long time, I'm offering her... shit... Codi look at it from my point of view, she's got six kids, you think I'm going to get messed up with six kids to have to provide for if I didn't want her long term?"

"I don't know..."

"Its for keeps, just trust me ok." Daryl tried to tell him.

"If you do anything to hurt her..." Codi warned him.

"Hey man I'm not ok, I'm not."

They drove another twenty minutes out of town and the little ones were nodding off in the back of Daryl's car when they spotted their first cow and both little ones were sound asleep and missed it.

*********************************************************

Carol pulled her people mover up behind Daryl's car.  Carol parked and turned her car off for the past five minutes she followed Daryl down a windy dirt road in awe looking left and right while she was driving. The kids in her car were squealing in delight when she passed farm animals that were in the paddocks. Sophia looked at her mom and smiled.

"Its beautiful, is this his house?" Sophia asked her.

"I think so, everyone out." They all climbed out of the car and looked around.

Carol was amazed, Daryl had under sold his place, trees lined the boundary's and wooden fences to keep the horses that were in the paddock beside the house. She smile when she tried to take it all in at once. She saw across the other side of the paddock with the horses another house. It was large also with a similar wrap around porch. Children's toys and swings littered the yard from what she could see from where she was standing. Carol brought her hand up to shield her eyes to see it better. A blonde woman come out onto the porch and waved at them. 

Carol raised her arm and waved back. The kids were getting out of their seats and Carol was still standing like a stuffed melon and the kids started scattering all over the place determined to look at everything first. Daryl walked towards her holding Madison who looked happy in his arms.

"Do you like it?" Daryl asked her.

Carol looked around again, at the big house with its wrap around porch and porch swing. The double story house, it was all shut up with shutters, it needed painted and Carol knew by looking at it that there was a great deal of work to do on the house.

"To quote Sophia... its beautiful... it really is." Carol said, she reached out and stroked Madison's hair, "Show me around?"

"You want to come and look inside... I'm still doing it up." Daryl held out his hand for Oscar to come follow them, he wasn't that keen on letting the little one's wander off on their own like the older kids had. Carol had no idea where Sophia and Codi had gone and the other two were running around in and out of the trees. "The toilet works but the bathroom is not working so we will have to bath everyone in the creek out the back."

"There's a creek?" Carol looked worried.

"Its about four miles away... its not that close." Daryl assured her. "No one is getting to the creek or pond without us believe me."

She followed him up the steps, she waited while Daryl juggled key's one handed. They both stopped as they heard laughter and giggles from the barn area. Sophia come walking around the side of the barn giggling and flipping her hair talking with a boy that must have been working by the barn. The boy looked about the same age if not older than her. Daryl groaned when he saw the flirting going on.

"My nephew... Scott go home and tell ya dad to come help me get the shutters off the house." Daryl called out. "Sophia... keep away from him."

"Uncle Daryl... you cramping my style." Scott called back.

"Good..." Daryl called back, "He's a Dixon and if he's like Merle we have a huge problem on our hands."

"Why?" Carol sat down on the porch swing and pulled Oscar onto her lap. They sat rocking and Daryl passed her Madison while he went to chase his nephew off Carol's daughter. He didn't have to try to hard because two people were walking across the paddock towards them. They were being trailed by two children. Daryl ran down the steps to meet them. He stopped half way down the step to invited Carol to come across to greet them too. She stood up with Madison and she held Oscars hand following Daryl to meet his family all the time while keep her eye on Sophia.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end, thanks for reading trying to finish up some fic's to start some new ones.

Carol was eating dinner with a sleeping toddler over her shoulder, she was eating one handed with her right hand while her left kept Madison asleep. The little toddler had run herself raggered all day running after both Carol and Daryl as they walked around the property refusing to be carried until she was nearly asleep on her feet. Carol had managed to keep her away long enough to get some dinner into her, a quick bath in the tub with water Daryl had heated up over the fire place. Rustic charm at its greatest. She was tired as all the children were and the little one now had just finished her bottle in Carol's arms and had fallen asleep quickly. Carol was holding her for a while to make sure she was in a deep sleep before moving her into the porta cot in the lounge of Daryl's big old farm house.

Carol was smiling, smiling a real smile. It was so relaxing and all the kids were running around the yard. They were just keeping their eye on Scott and Sophia who both seemed smitten with each other. Scott apparently was Merles oldest child that he had when he was single. He had been raising him alone when he met Andrea when Scott was around seven. Andrea had taken pity on the solo dad inviting them over for dinner, was the way Andrea told it. The way Merle told it was that Andrea stalked and pressured him into marriage. They were a match made in heaven or a match made in hell.

Andrea and Merle had come over with their kids bringing dinner with them to share with everyone and now they were waiting for the older children to tire themselves out so they could put them all to bed. Both Merle and Andrea had been teasing Daryl for hours and Carol was getting slightly sick of the fact that Merle was relentless. So when Daryl offered to take the toddler inside to put in the porta cot for a sleep, Merle started in teasing Carol about Daryl.

"So whats a pretty thing like you doing chasing after a guy like my brother?" Merle asked her. Andrea kicked Merle to give him a warning to stop it, Merle and Daryl had already had words together about the relentless teasing to the point Carol was worried they were going to get into a argument or something. Carol's mouth twisted into a sly grin as she thought through her answer to tell Merle to shut him up once and for all.

Carol glanced around all her kids were away, "Well its all about the oral Merle. If you are good with tongue lets just say a women's not going to let that go quickly... are you as good with yours as your brother is Merle? or is your age getting in the way now?" Carol asked him with a innocent smile. "And then he would climb my fire escape and come in and make love to me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. Do you think we could get a fire escape on the side of the house... I'd like to keep that habit up... keep him fit and keen you know what I mean?"

Andrea's drink went spurting out her mouth and she started coughing, Daryl come out of his brother house to see his brother bright red, his wife choking and Carol just sitting there with a innocent smile on her face.

"What happened?" He asked Carol.

"I just asked him if he was as good at oral as you are and Andrea started to choke." Carol said innocently, "So I doubt he will keep picking on you now."

"Carol? Did you really?" Daryl didn't know whether to be embarrassed or proud of her for taking on Merle.

"Well lets just say Merle, I'm going to be your sister inlaw and for every time you make fun of Daryl I'm going to make fun of you... so looks like the rest of my life is going to be fun!" Carol warned Merle.

"But how did you meet?" Andrea asked, she tapped Merle on the forearm to make him stop. 

"Well it all started when Glenn Rhee asked me to take just one more kid on my case load and now we are here, and hopefully within the next few months we will be married with the kids and moving into the old farm house. Right Carol?" Daryl leaned over to take Carols hand.

"Yeah... he took just one more and ended up with more than one more.... it was a bargin." Carol smiled watching their kids running about outside on that summer evening and she was happy, in love and pleased she said yes to Daryl.

 


End file.
